On January 24, Brian Ferrell came to our meeting to speak about his journey in creating his company, factor110.

factor110 is all about "factoring in the difference."

Brian started his company a little over 10 years ago. He worked for a few different companies before getting his CMP certification (Certified Meeting Professional). He had to study a lot before he got this certification because he had no knowledge of the industry beforehand.

While he was studying to get his CMP certification, he added the term DMC to his vocabulary. DMC stands for Destination Management Company and is a firm that manages and plans out-of-town event services.

He then decided to create his company, which has grown into three different parts: factor110, 110events and Destination Oklahoma. Brian's company is the only DMC in Oklahoma, so they have the upper-hand.

factor110 plans and produces events for companies. These events include trade shows, award shows, company dinners and much, much more! Based on what Brian shared with us, it seems like the people that work for this company have produced some really cool, different events.

When it comes to events, Brian had a few pieces of advice for us:

Events are an extension of your brand.

The success or failure of your event is dependent upon the attendees experience.

Be different. Be confident. Be authentic.

Create a unique signature event. Instead of doing a lot of things not well, create something that is signature.

110events is a rental company that the public can rent things from for their events. Brides, caterers, hotels and many more people will rent items for their event that they can't get anywhere else.

Lastly, Destination Oklahoma is a company that gives daily tours around Oklahoma to connect people to the attractions and stories around Oklahoma. They also began sell Oklahoma inspired gifts after Brian realized that people who visited Oklahoma wanted to be able to buy gifts that are unique to the state.

We had a great time learning about Brian's company. Learning his tips and tricks in the event planning industry made for a great meeting!